All Lanes of the 10th Street Bypass to Reopen (5/3/16)

ALL LANES OF THE 10th STREET BYPASS TO REOPENALCOSAN crews quickly dislodged debris that caused the closing of lanes this morning

May 3, 2016 – As of 11:30 a.m., crews for the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority are completing work so that all lanes of the 10th Street Bypass can reopen to traffic, which is expected by 1:00 p.m.

Jeanne Clark, spokeswoman for ALCOSAN, said recent heavy rain caused an overflow, which allowed sewage and stormwater to enter the rivers. During that process, an underground gate that should allow water to flow freely became stuck because of rocks and bricks that had been carried through the sewer system.

As a result, at about 4 a.m., a geyser of water began shooting out of a manhole on the 10th Street Bypass just west of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, making it necessary to close most of the lanes.

ALCOSAN crews parked a truck over that manhole, opened nearby manholes to relieve pressure and brought in a crane to reach down and remove the debris. The blockage was removed by 10:15.

Overflows occur when heavy rain sends more of sewage and stormwater into the system than it can immediately absorb. When this happens, ALCOSAN issues advisories warning people who use the rivers to minimize contact with the contaminated river way.

ALCOSAN is one of the region’s premier environmental and public health organizations, treating wastewater for 83 Allegheny County communities, including the City of Pittsburgh. The authority, which is Green by Mission and Green by Choice, enhances the community’s quality of life and safety by working to protect drinking water, rivers and streams, and making the Pittsburgh region a great place to live, work and play. ALCOSAN’s 59-acre treatment plant processes up to 250 million gallons of wastewater daily and is one of the largest such facilities in the Ohio River Valley.